SAPC
News
News Items
(for the latest Nuke news &
chronological listing of website
postings)
BREDL
SAPC Press Releases
Insights
from Offsite
- news, insight, & info on Plutonium
Fuel issues
BREDL comments & letters
Other
news & Events
Fact Sheets, Reports
&
General Info
Background: SOUTHERN
ANTI-PLUTONIUM CAMPAIGN
Fact Sheet:
Immobilization
vs.
Pu/MOX fuel (in .pdf)
Nov. 22, 2002: "Does
America Need A New Atomic Bomb Plant?: A
Preliminary Review of DOE's Plans to
Restore Large-Scale Plutonium Pit
Production"
(in .pdf)
Oct. 12, 2002 - BREDL
factsheet on Savannah River Site (in .pdf)
Aug. 23, 2001 -
Plutonium Fuel Factory facts
Sept. 28, 2000 -
NIX MOX
Day
Feb. 1999 -
BREDL lists concerns over Savannah River site
Reports & Resources
PLUTONIUM:
The Last Five Years
Plutonium
Fuel Transportation:
More Uncertainties
, Higher Costs ,Increased Risks
Overrated
Records
The
Dangers of Plutonium Transportation:
|
|
Recent
Postings:
May 9, 2005: Prevent the Reprocessing
of Military Plutonium Wastes into Fuel.
Statement to the Review Conference of the
Parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty. Delivered May 11, 2005 at the
United Nations in New York. Excerpt:
| We hereby
stand opposed the reprocessing of
plutonium for fuel because it
presents unsupportable risks to
public safety and the
environment, and undermines the
goal of nuclear
non-proliferation. The
circulation of plutonium fuel in
the commercial sector would
increase the risk of diversion.
There is no way to ensure that
plutonium reprocessing facilities
for electric power will not be
turned to military use. We
submit that a global movement for
a world without nuclear weapons
must also halt the drive for
plutonium power. |
ANTI-PLUTONIUM
CAMPAIGN
WINS
CONCESSIONS
On April
18, 2005 the U.S Nuclear
Regulatory Commission issued the
public version of its final
decision on the Blue Ridge
Environmental Defense
League’s legal challenge to
Duke Power’s request to test
plutonium fuel at the Catawba
nuclear power station. In its
application to amend its
operating license, Duke requested
exemptions from post-9/11 federal
requirements designed to protect
nuclear materials from theft or
sabotage. The judges granted
the exemption but imposed
four conditions that Duke is
required to meet before it can
receive the fuel at Catawba. They
are:
| 1.
Duke shall modify its
security procedures
regarding plutonium fuel. 2. Duke must
demonstrate its ability
to counter an attempt at
theft of plutonium fuel
by undertaking tabletop
and force-on-force
exercises.
3. Duke
must upgrade its security
monitoring procedures
during acceptance of
plutonium fuel.
4. Duke
must establish and have
in place all procedures
identified during the
intervention hearings for
accepting the plutonium
fuel. These measures
include coordinating
transfer of plutonium
fuel from DOE,
coordinating with local
law enforcement agencies
and ensuring that armed
responders are dedicated
to the protection of the
plutonium fuel.
|
The
plutonium fuel tests necessitate
the insertion of four lead
test assemblies (LTA) into
the Catawba reactor for at least
two fuel cycles. Duke sought to
exempt Catawba Nuclear Power
Station from the regulations for
Category I facilities which have special
strategic nuclear materials such
as 2 kilograms or more of
plutonium. Duke’s Catawba
nuclear station would contain 80
kilograms of plutonium during the
proposed plutonium fuel tests.
Commercial
nuclear fuel typically
contains the oxide form
of uranium. The nuclear
industry’s term for
this novel fuel is
“MOX” because
it is a mixed oxide
containing both uranium
and plutonium. But the
primary fissile isotope
of the fuel is plutonium,
so we use the more
accurate term
“plutonium
fuel.”
Our case required access
to sensitive documents,
Safe Guards Information,
making many of the legal
proceedings closed to the
public. Relevant
information was provided
only to our technical
consultant, Dr. Edwin
Lyman of the Union of
Concerned Scientists, and
to our attorney Diane
Curran, of Harmon Curran
Spielberg and Eisenberg,
who complied with all
security requirements.
The Atomic Safety and
Licensing Board’s
ruling, originally issued
on March 10th, required
additional review and
approval before it could
be released to the public
in censored format on
April 18th. The redacted
version is freely
available and is posted
on our website. |
More info: Read
ASLBP decision (Public Redacted
Version)
BREDL Report: "Anti-Plutonium
Campaign Wins Concessions"
|
April 7, 2005:
GROUPS CALL ON GOVERNOR TO DEMAND
TERRORISM SAFEGUARDS - Today at a press
conference in Columbia, citizens groups
called on Governor Mark Sanford to halt
the impending plutonium fuel shipments
through South Carolina and to demand
terrorism safeguards at the Catawba
nuclear station.
BREDL Press Release | Letter to SC Governor
Mark Sanford
March 09, 2005: BREDL Press
Release: BREDL CHALLENGES DUKE’S
PLUTONIUM LICENSE - Today the Blue Ridge
Environmental Defense League filed a
petition before the US Nuclear Regulatory
Commission to revoke the license
amendment issued by the staff of the NRC
to Duke Energy Corporation for plutonium
fuel tests. BREDL Petition | Cover Letter | Exhibit 1 | NRC Original Order
|
